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lots of eyes are looking to the sky !!!! CNN ? the 9th is just a chunk of ICE !!!

2006-08-20 01:26:43 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics Astronomy & Space

5 answers

No. I can't believe I rated a comment as caustic as andyoptic's as a good answer, but the confusion between NASA and the IAU is disappointing.

The International Astronomical Union a world organization that unites national astronomical societies from around the world. It's the world's official body of astronomy.

NASA is a United States organization for aerospace research and space exploration. It deals with spacecraft missions to explore space. Yes, a couple of the spacecraft they have launched are great resources for astronomy, but NASA is the operator of the spacecraft, while astronomers are the users of the data.

NASA's role in the decision about the new planets may be more significant than the taxi cab drivers that drive the scientists and astronmers to the IAU meetings in Prague, but their role would still fall in the same general category as the taxi drivers.

2006-08-20 03:46:59 · answer #1 · answered by Bob G 6 · 1 0

NASA is not the source. The IAU, the International Astronomical Union, is responsible for the naming of all celestial bodies.

Under the new definition of a planet sponsored by the IAU, 3 more planets are joining the Solar System:

1) Ceres, previously an asteroid between Mars and Juiter
2) Charon, the moon of Pluto (Pluto and Charon will become a binary system)
3) 2003UB313, a TNO (Trans-Neptunian Object) beyond the orbit of Pluto

2006-08-20 02:57:52 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 4 0

The new object, 2003UB313, has still not been considered a planet. It has sparked a big controversy regarding whether it should be considered a planet or not, since there is no specific definition of a planet. 2003UB313, like Pluto, is Kuiper Belt Object and is slightly bigger than Pluto. It's discoverers have nicknamed it as Xena.

2006-08-20 01:31:35 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

No.

You Americans think that NASA is the only show in town

2006-08-20 01:42:53 · answer #4 · answered by andyoptic 4 · 1 0

May be there is one out there !

2006-08-20 01:34:32 · answer #5 · answered by R G 5 · 0 0

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